Time of Our Lives
by SaffronFields023
Summary: Clove is stubborn, Katniss can't accept help from others, and Gale is football crazy. Not to mention the Mellark brothers have certainly caused a splash at Panem High. Modern AU Everlark and Clato.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My first day of Junior year began with my sister screaming in my ear. My eyes flew open and I sat up and screamed back in retaliation, causing her to scream louder. I fell back against my pillow, laughing. Prim glared at me and I rolled my eyes, pulling her onto the bed with me.

"Katniss, it's not funny! You scared me!"

"Hey, who was the one that screamed first, huh?" I asked, poking her in the stomach until she started giggling. "That was quite the wake up call, Primmy."

Prim rolled her eyes."That's because you wouldn't wake up. Mom told me to go get you because you're late."

I reached for the clock sitting on my windowsill. _7:34. _I was very late.

"Shit!" I cursed and leapt out of bed, stumbling around my room in search of some clothes to wear.

"Language!" Prim reprimanded me.

"Sorry Primmy!" I scooped up a small pile of clothes and made a beeline towards the bathroom. "Tell mom that I'll skip breakfast today."

"Okay! Also our cousins are waiting downstairs." She added the last part as an afterthought.

"Shit!"

"Language!" I heard Prim shout as I shut the bathroom door.

Ten minutes later I emerged from the bathroom looking somewhat presentable. My hair was messy from seven hours of sleep and l made a mental note to braid it in the car on the way to school. I grabbed my bag from my bedroom and rushed down to the living room where I was greeted by my five cousins, only two of which looked happy to see me. Posy and Vick sprang up from the couch and tackled me with excited hugs. I laughed, wrapping my arms around their small shoulders.

"Hey guys!" I said excitedly.

"You're late," Clove said bluntly, crossing her arms. I rolled my eyes and she broke her haughty act, cracking a smile at me.

"Well look who decided to finally show up," Gale said sarcastically as he stood up.

"Kat's here, let's go." Rory practically jumped up before running out the front door.

"Don't mind him, he just wants to see his little girlfriend as soon as possible," Gale smirked as he ran a hand through his short hair.

"Well we are going to be late," Clove pointed out. "All thanks to this one," she poked my cheek.

I swatted her away, laughing. "That's no way to greet your cousin who you haven't seen in two weeks."

"Fine." Clove wrapped her arms around me in a hug.

"How was District 2?" I asked her. I noticed that she and her siblings all looked more sunkissed than the last time I had seen them.

"We'll talk about that later!" I heard Rory shout from outside. "Let's go!"

I held up my arms in surrender. "You heard the man, let's go. Prim! It's time to leave."

Prim emerged from the kitchen with my mother in tow. "Finally! You were taking forever."

"No fighting on the first day of school!" Mom scolded. She looked pointedly at me. "But you _were_ late."

"Sue me." I made my way over to her and gave her a hug. "Bye mom, see you later."

"Bye darlings." She said, releasing me then hugging Prim. She then turned to Gale and Clove. "Is your family still coming over for dinner this week?"

Gale nodded. "Thursday?"

"Thursday." Mom confirmed and then smiled."Now get out of the house, you're very late! Have a good first day of school!"

"As I've heard many times today," I mumbled, herding Posy and Vick out the door and towards the Hawthorne family minivan where Rory was impatiently tapping his foot.

"Finally!" He shouted, throwing open the door and diving into the backseat. Vick and Posy climbed in after him.

"Excited to talk to Rue?" Prim taunted him as she sat down in the middle row.

"Shut up. Anxious to see Everett?"

"No!"

"Everett? Who is that?" I asked Prim, raising my eyebrows as I sat down next to her.

"Nobody," she turned a deep shade of pink then reached back to punch Rory in the arm when he laughed.

"Ah, it's great to see some good old family bonding." Gale sat down in the driver's seat as Clove took the passenger seat.

"I want to hear all about your trip," I said as the car pulled out of the driveway and down the street. My cousins had spent the past two weeks in District 2 visiting Aunt Hazelle's family. They had just gotten back last night, right in time for the first day of school.

"It was so fun!" Posy shouted, bouncing in her seat.

"It was alright," Clove shrugged.

"Clovey made out with our cousins' neighbor the day before we left," Gale stage whispered to me.

"Gale!" Clove punched her twin in the arm as Prim, Vick and I all oohed at her.

We pulled up to the elementary school and Vick and Posy jumped out.

"Be good!" Gale and Prim yelled.

"Make new friends!" I called out.

"Don't be stupid!" Clove and Rory hollered.

Our next stop was the middle school, which was only a couple of blocks away.

"There's Rue!" Rory and Prim both shouted as they scrambled out of the car. Rue was Prim's best friend and Rory's alleged crush. Clove, Gale and I shouted our farewells to them as we drove away.

"Get good grades!"

"Safety is sexy, kids!"

"Prim, stay away from this Everett kid!"

"Shut up Katniss!" I heard Prim's shriek in the distance.

"Remember when we were that young and angsty?" Clove asked with a sigh.

"Don't remind me," I groaned, memories of middle school flashing through my mind.

"I can't believe they're seventh graders." Gale shook his head fondly.

"Oh how time has flown by. And look at us now, we're starting our Junior year. Can you believe it?" Clove checked her reflection in the car mirror. Gale moved the mirror back to its original position and she scowled at him.

"Let's hope this one can get back into our usual morning routine." Gale nodded towards me.

"Yeah yeah, I was late, will I ever hear the end of it?" I moaned, suddenly remembering my messy hair. I began quickly braiding it over my shoulder.

"No," they replied as we pulled into the school parking lot. I stuck my tongue out as I finished off the braid.

"Ha!" I pointed at the dashboard clock as Gale parked the car. "It's 7:58, we're not late! School doesn't start until 8:10."

"We're only on time because this idiot decided to speed," Clove said and punched Gale in the arm.

"At least I have my license!" Gale shot back.

"Low blow!"

Ever since Gale got his license, Aunt Hazelle had him driving his siblings, Prim and I to school. During the parking portion of her driver's test, Clove, who had a nasty cold at the time, sneezed which resulted in her backing the car into a metal pole. Needless to say, she didn't pass and she refused to try it again. I passed with flying colors. So Gale drove the van in the mornings and I drove it in the afternoons.

I had missed this morning routine of driving to school with my cousins. We were all incredibly close, especially following the car crash that killed my father and uncle. Hearing the news in during my seventh grade math class was the worst moment of my life. We mourned for weeks, Prim, my mother and I each grieving in our different ways. Aunt Hazelle moved her family from District 2 to District 12 after the funeral so our families could be closer together. Our shared tragedy brought us cousins closer. Posy and Vick, the youngest ones, look up to the rest of us. Although they often bicker, Prim and Rory were in the same friend group and are close friends. Gale and Clove are two of my best friends and we also shared the same friend group.

We were immediately mobbed by Gale's football friends the second we exited the car.

"Ugh, too much toxic masculinity in one place." Clove said after the two of us wiggled out of the knot of guys.

"You can say that again," I laughed, straightening my jacket.

"I'll see you two later!" Gale shouted over his friends' voices. We made our way up the steps of Panem High School. We picked up our schedules outside of the front office and walked down the hall, comparing our classes.

"So tell me about that friend your brother mentioned." I wiggled my eyebrows.

"Who, Blight? Easy on the eyes and not the best kisser," Clove said, though I saw a faint blush cover her freckled cheeks.

"Did you get his number?" I asked.

"Nah, I'll probably never see him again. It was fun while it lasted, though." Clove shrugged. Her expression suddenly turned devious. "What about you, Katty? Do anything raunchy in the time I was gone?"

"Nope, I sat at home and cried over your departure for two weeks." I said seriously. She glared at me and the two of us burst into laughter. "Kidding of course. No, I didn't do much. Mainly hung out with our friends. Finnick threw a crazy party at his beach house one weekend."

"I definitely want to hear about that," Clove raised her eyebrows.

"Clove!" A shrill voice that could easily shatter glass called out before I could dive into the details.

Clove winced. "That's my cue." She smoothed out her skirt, flipped her hair over her shoulder and plastered a fake smile on her face. "How do I look?"

"Like a bitch?"

"Perfect."

"What's all this for?" I asked, amused at my cousin's odd behavior. Clove in a skirt was completely out of character for her.

"Clove!" The owner of the horrible voice was suddenly visible through the crowd. I saw Glimmer Everence strutting down the hall, followed by two nearly identical blondes.

"Why is Glimmer Everence screeching for you?" My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Clove sighed. "Glimmer's graduating this year and I want to take over as captain of the gymnastics team next year when she's gone."

"So you've befriended her?" I asked skeptically.

"More like I've tastefully sucked up to her. Trust me, I'd rather not. But I'll die if she makes Delly the captain for next year." Clove said in a reassuring voice.

"Well, that explains the skirt. Clo, I support your ambitions and all but you're already the varsity soccer captain as a junior, do you really need to be gymnastics captain next year too? You know how Glimmer is, she's kind of the worst." Glimmer was actually my friend when we were younger until she decided in middle school that popularity was much more important than our friendship. She and I haven't been on good terms since then, following a nasty fight that ended with both of us in the principal's office. Glimmer had actually taken a liking to Clove, who moved here in seventh grade, but Clove rejected her friendship out of loyalty to me. Until now, apparently.

"I know, but being the captain of two teams would get me even more scholarships for college. You know how it is, Kat," Clove sighed, playing with her hair. Immediately I understood, guilt suddenly rushing through me. Both of our families suffered financially when my dad and Uncle Davis died, Clove's especially. Aunt Hazelle was left to take care of four kids and a baby all by herself, which meant that money was incredibly scarce for them. Ever since then, Clove and Gale had dedicated themselves to sports in hopes of getting enough athletic scholarships to pay for college. Their passion and dedication were unmatched and honestly astounding.

"Say no more." I squeezed her hand. "Go get that captain's position!"

Clove smiled at me. "Yes ma'am, I'll see you soon. Mr. Abernathy's 3rd period? Save me a seat?"

"See you then." I waved and watched her trot up to Glimmer. She stuck out, her dark hair abnormal among the three blondes who engulfed her in a group hug. Their squeals were ear-splitting.

I shook my head and meandered down the hall until I found the people I was looking for.

"You're late," Johanna accused me as soon as I walked up to my group of friends. She punched my arm, which was about as affectionate as Johanna got with me.

"Jesus Christ, how many times am I going to hear that this morning?" I muttered to myself, rubbing my sore arm.

"Katniss!" Annie and Madge chirped in unison as I hugged them.

"And how is the Lady Katniss on this fine morning?" Finnick asked, flashing his white teeth at me. He threw his arm over Annie's shoulders.

"The lady is doing fine, thanks for asking." I curtsied. "I see you aren't with your soccer bros right now."

"I see that Gale wasn't able to escape his football friends," he retorted. I laughed and nodded.

Johanna plucked my schedule out of my hands and quickly read it. "Homeroom with me and Annie, let's go. Later Finn, Madge." She grabbed the two of us by our wrists.

"Oh yeah, I haven't missed this one bit," Annie whispered to me as Johanna dragged us down the hall, shouting at people to move out of our way.

"Ditto," I whispered back.

* * *

Second period had just ended and we were at our lockers, stalling before we had to go to third period. Sadly, Glimmer's high pitched voice was disrupting the peace. It was beginning to give me a headache. Although she was much further down the hall, it was as if she was standing next to me, complaining right in my ear.

"Does she ever shut up?" I groaned, banging my head against my locker. Annie patted my shoulder sympathetically.

Johanna smirked. "I think you know the answer to that, Brainless."

"She's been like this all week," Madge stated smugly. "Marvel broke up with her at the end of the summer and she hasn't shut her mouth since." Madge was Glimmer's neighbor, something I've only ever experienced in my nightmares.

"Figures." I laughed, pushing myself off of my locker. I shot a dirty look down the hallway at Glimmer. She was leaning against her locker dramatically, blabbing her head off as usual. Delly and Cashmere were fawning over her, offering sympathy in their shockingly similar voices. Clove stood next to them, combing her fingers through her long dark hair. She caught my eye and went cross-eyed, making a gagging motion.

I couldn't help it, I let out a snort. I quickly covered my mouth and turned away, hiding my face in my locker.

"What now?" Johanna pulled my backpack and spun me around.

"Just my cousin and her usual antics," I shrugged with a smile.

Johanna's eyes lit up. "Ah, Clove! Haven't seen her in weeks. Tell me, why is she over there hanging out with Glimmer and not us?"

I shrugged. "She wants to be the gymnastics captain next year when Glimmer's gone so she's trying to make a good impression so she'll get chosen. You know, just Clove being her usual sneaky self."

"Classic Clove," Annie giggled.

Johanna nodded in approval. "Manipulation, that's good. I like it. Just make sure this doesn't distract her from soccer practice, we need to start off the season strong."

"I'll pass the message to her," I rolled my eyes. I've never been able to understand the importance of sports the way my friends did.

Annie stopped giggling and was suddenly gaping at something past our lockers. "Uh, guys? Did Chris Hemsworth transfer to our school?"

"Not that I know of," I said, both amused and confused with her question.

"Then who is _that_?" Annie pointed down the hall.

Johanna, Madge and I simultaneously followed Annie's finger to find two blonde boys walking towards us. The taller one that Annie was talking about certainly resembled Chris Hemsworth with his defined muscles and confident smile. The other one, definitely his brother or cousin, was shorter but no less attractive. His eyes were soft and absolutely stunning.

"I think I'm in love," Madge swooned as they passed us. "And there's _two_ of them."

"Don't let Gale hear you say that," Johanna rolled her eyes. "What's the big deal? I guess they're okay looking, but there are hundreds of girls in our school twice as pretty as them."

"Just because you have a hot girlfriend doesn't mean those fine specimens are any less attractive," Annie said, referring to Johanna's girlfriend Enobaria as she smacked Jo with her hand.

"Annie, you have a boyfriend," Jo whined. "Finnick will murder them if he hears you talking about them."

"I know," Annie sighed. "Just admiring what's there, you know? Plus blondes are more of Kat's type."

"Leave me out of this," I protested, finally peeling my eyes off of their retreating figures.

"It's probably best if you do, look who finally seemed to have gotten over Marvel," Madge said, nodding her head towards Glimmer, who was trotting after them, her high heels clicking on the floor. I watched as she wiggled her way in between them, hooking her arms through theirs. I gagged as Delly and Cashmere followed in her wake, giggling amongst themselves.

"I think spending time with them is actually shrinking my brain," Clove whined as she walked up to us, massaging her temples.

"Clove!" Annie, Madge, and Johanna practically tackled her to the floor with their hugs.

"Holy shit I've missed you guys," Clove's voice was muffled at the bottom of the pile. "Blonde people make me want to rip my ears out. Not you, Madge," she added as a hasty afterthought.

"Fuck you," Madge scoffed, climbing off of Clove. "We're not all bad, just most of us."

"I can't believe you ditched us for those idiots," Johanna complained as she and Annie pulled Clove to her feet.

"I'd never ditch you," Clove huffed. "Just trying to secure my spot as next year's gymnastics captain. Cashmere and Glimmer are seniors so I don't have any classes with them, thank god. Look at those idiots, running after the first guys they see in this stupid school."

"I don't blame them," Madge muttered, sneaking another glance at them.

"You sure you don't belong in Glimmer's little circle?" Clove asked innocently. "I'm sure they'd waste no time in replacing me with a blonde like you."

"Clove!" Madge shrieked, charging at Clove.

"I'm friends with a bunch of dumbasses," Johanna marveled as we watched Madge chase my cousin down the hall.

"They're not even going the right way, our third period is on the other side of the school," I complained. "I'd better go get them."

"Don't run into those blonde cuties," Annie winked, pulling Jo off towards their math class.

"Oh I won't," I muttered under my breath, thinking about how that actually wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

* * *

**Hey guys! I have no idea if people still read Hunger Games fanfics but that certainly won't stop me from writing this one! Here's a quick couple of notes for this story:**

**\- Clove and Gale are twins and Katniss is their cousin**

**\- Peeta and Cato are brothers**

**\- Katniss and all her friends are juniors**

**Hope this chapter made sense, can't wait to keep writing this story! Reviews are always welcome :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Madge, Clove and I had the honor of meeting the infamous new blondes the next day. We were talking to each other in third period math when they walked through the door, causing a hush to fall over the room. Madge smacked me in the ribs when they entered. I shooed her away, scowling.

"Who're you?" Mr. Abernathy asked in a bored voice from his desk. He was currently tossing a rubber band ball from one hand to the other.

The shorter one was clearly caught off guard by our rude teacher's question. "Um, we're new here. Is this AP Calculus?"

Mr. Abernathy checked his roster. "Mellark and Mellark?" The boy nodded. "Welcome to our class, I hope your classmates welcome you with open arms." He spread his arms out sarcastically.

"Thanks," the boy said skeptically.

"Sit wherever you want, I don't care." Mr. Abernathy mumbled, immediately going back to playing with the ball even though the bell had already rung.

I watched as the two boys sat down at the desks right in front of us. Madge nudged me again and wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

Clove looked at her in disgust and mouthed "Glimmer." Madge glared at her.

"Lay off, Madge," I scolded her. "You know that my cousin is head over heels for you." It was true, Madge and Gale had been dancing around each other for years. It was only a matter of time before the two of them got together. Clove and I had a bet going and I was determined to win. If Gale and Madge weren't a couple by homecoming then I was going to lose a fair amount of money to Clove.

"I had no idea you felt that way about me, Clove," Madge said, batting her eyes and flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Clove gaped at her. "You better be joking, Gale would legit murder me in my sleep."

Before Madge could retort, the new boy turned around in his seat and smiled at us. "Hi, I'm Peeta."

It took a few seconds for me to realize he was talking to me. "Katniss," I responded, dumbfounded. His eyes were lovely, it felt like I was looking right into his soul. "You said you were new here?" I asked hastily, shaking myself out of my state of stupor.

He nodded. "We moved here from District 2 over the summer."

"Oh, my cousin used to live in District 2," I said stupidly, pointing at Clove.

"Very cool." Peeta's smile was absolutely dazzling. He turned to Clove. "Did you go to the Nut very often?"

Clove practically beamed, excited to talk about her old home. "Not very often, we lived closer to the quarries. It definitely wasn't the best part of District 2. Our neighborhood wasn't much but we had a great view of the sunset from our rooftop. I'm Clove, this is Madge." Madge waved.

"Peeta. This is my brother, Cato." Peeta said, nodding his head towards the boy next to him. So they _were_ brothers. Cato merely raised a hand and gave a slight wave, not even turning around.

"He's polite," Clove scoffed under her breath.

"Manners, Clove," I said, glaring at her.

Cato turned around to face us, one eyebrow raised. His eyes fell on Clove and the second eyebrow jumped up to meet the other one. He smirked. "Hey cutie, you a freshman?"

I winced and prayed that Clove would keep her mouth shut. Unfortunately, keeping her mouth shut was not one of Clove's strengths.

"I'm a junior, asshole. You look too old for high school, did you get held back a few years?" Clove shot back, smoke practically shooting out of her ears. Madge and I looked at each other, holding back our laughter. Peeta looked confused.

Clove's attitude didn't seem to faze Cato in the slightest. "I can be whatever age you want me to be, baby."

"Cato's a senior," Peeta cut in, glaring at his brother.

"The three of us are juniors, what about you?" I said, indicating Madge, Clove and I.

"I'm a junior too," he replied.

"How the hell did you get put into AP Calculus?" Clove said, glaring at Cato.

"Same way you did," he retorted.

"I think that this is the beginning of a beautiful new friendship," I whispered to Madge as we watched Clove and Cato bicker back and forth.

Mr. Abernathy finally began class, 10 minutes late as usual. I felt my attention span already beginning to wear thin as I tried in vain to take notes. My pencil drifted to the margins of my notebook and I began to doodle, blocking out Mr. Abernathy's grating voice. It wasn't until he ended the lesson that I looked up from my notebook.

"You're pretty good at that," Peeta commented, nodding towards my notebook.

"Thanks." I studied my drawings, they were barely mediocre.

"Can I copy your notes?" I heard Cato ask my cousin.

"You didn't take your own notes? Idiot." Clove scoffed.

Peeta looked at me and rolled his eyes. "Seems like they're getting along just fine."

"This is going to be the longest class in my day with the two of them fighting all the time," I complained to him. He laughed.

"So why weren't you in this class yesterday?" Madge, ever the curious one, asked. She laced her fingers together, leaning towards Peeta.

"They screwed up our schedules and weren't able to change them until today. I had to be transferred from intermediate math and beginner's art into the higher level classes."

"Do you like art?" I asked politely.

Cato dodged the wad of paper that Clove chucked at him and turned to me. "Peet's an amazing artist, look." He scooped up his brother's notebook and dropped it onto my desk.

I gasped as I studied the sketches he had made on the corner of the page. Realistic flowers and vines crept up the page, putting my drawings to shame. "These are amazing."

"It's not that impressive," Peeta flushed and took his notebook back. "Our family just opened the bakery down on Nightlock Street. My dad wants to start a chain, that's why we left District 2. I decorate the cakes."

"That's pretty cool," I said, meaning it.

"It's pretty fun," he shrugged, "Cato sucks at icing designs."

"Fuck you," Cato growled.

"Figures," Clove said snarkily as the bell rang.

"What lunch period do you have?" Madge asked Peeta as we packed up our stuff.

"I'm in second lunch," Peeta said as he looked at his schedule.

"That's a shame, we're all in first lunch," Madge said, shaking her head.

"What a coincidence, that's the same lunch I have," Cato said as he sidled up to Clove.

"Back off, douche. Having one class with you is plenty, I don't need to see you at lunch too," Clove growled as the five of us walked out the door and into the hallway. Glimmer suddenly appeared out of nowhere and hooked her arm through Cato's.

"Cato, funny seeing you here. Walk me to my next class?" She asked, batting her eyelashes prettily. Madge and I made retching noises and she glared at us.

"Uh, I guess-" Cato barely had time to finish before Glimmer dragged him down the hall.

"That's karma," Clove snickered, a smile creeping onto her face.

"What a viper," Madge rolled her eyes. "Peeta it's best if you and your brother stay away from Glimmer and her stupid friends."

"Noted," Peeta nodded, a look of disgust on his face as he watched his brother walk away with Glimmer. He looked down at his schedule again. "Well, I'm off to Biology. It was great meeting all of you." He flashed a quick smile before walking away.

"He's so cute!" Madge squealed once he was out of earshot.

"He's okay, his brother sucks," Clove said, scrunching up her face.

"He's nice," I shrugged, watching him avoid Delly and Cashmere as they leered at him from their lockers. He was going to get eaten alive by those girls, I could tell.

* * *

"We met the new boys," Madge said, practically bursting with excitement. Lunch had finally rolled around and we quickly found our way to the table our friends were sitting at.

"What new boys?" Finnick asked through a mouthful of pizza.

"Ugh, not those two blondies you were ogling yesterday," Johanna groaned to Madge.

"What?" Gale choked on his sandwich. He looked at Madge, shock clear across his face.

Madge rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore my cousin's hurt expression. "Their names are Peeta and Cato Mellark, they moved here this summer."

Finnick gasped. "Does their family own Mellark Bakery? I was literally there all the time this summer with Annie, their pasteries are so good!"

"Looks like Fin is ready to make a new friend," I mumbled to an equally amused Johanna.

"Are you talking about the Mellarks? They're pretty cool dudes, I have them in a couple of classes," a new voice jumped in. I looked up to see Marvel setting down his lunch tray next to Gale.

"Quaid," Johanna addressed him, smirking slightly.

"Marvel! Where were you yesterday?" I asked, happy to see him.

He shrugged. "Slept through my alarm."

"Are you serious? Only you, Marvel," Clove scoffed.

"Wow, what a nice greeting, Clo," he said sarcastically.

"Heard you broke up with Glimmer," Finnick said innocently. We all held our breath.

Marvel laughed. "Yeah, I thought you all would be happy to hear the news. Honestly, I have no idea why I ever dated her, she's sorta the worst."

"Glad you came to your senses, Quaid," I said, honestly relieved that I wouldn't have to be nice to Glimmer for Marvel's sake anymore. Around the table I could see that the others shared my sentiment.

"Me too," he said, then turned to Gale. "Is it true that Unghart is out for the rest of the season?" Football talk, great. Gale threw back his head, groaned, then launched into a rant about the football team. Finnick leaned forward with interest. Madge and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes. Next to me, Johanna and Clove were talking animatedly about the soccer season. They were co-captains together this year and I pitied their team because of that. I could only imagine what it was like having Clove and Johanna, both equally competitive and brash, captaining a team together.

I picked at my lunch, silently wishing that Annie was here. She and our other friend Jackie were in the next lunch, leaving Madge and I with all the sports freaks. I gazed around the lunchroom boredly, waving back at a senior named Cressida who was in my study hall last year. My gaze fell on Cato, who had wasted no time in making new friends. He was sitting at a table surrounded by Gloss, Messalla, and Thesh, all members of the football team. I turned back to my lunch and was immeditately swept up in a conversation with Madge about homecoming, which we discussed until the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch.

Finnick and I said goodbye to our friends before leaving the lunchroom to walk to our English class. On our way out the door I ran right into Glimmer.

She shrieked, hands immediately reaching up to touch her hair to make sure it wasn't messed up. Her annoyed expression only grew stronger when she realized that it was me who had bumped into her.

"Watch where you're going, Cat piss." She said, crossing her arms.

"I could say the same for you, Glitter," I shot back, rolling my eyes as she glared at me. The thing that Glimmer hated most was when people got her name wrong.

"It's Glimmer, you idiot!

"Whoops, guess I've been saying your name wrong this whole time."

"Bitch," Glimmer shoved past me, her shoulder intentionally hitting me on the way.

"Hey now. Play nice, Glimmer," Finnick said, steering me away from her.

"Whatever, Finnick," she huffed, flouncing away.

"Heard Marvel broke up with you this summer," I called over my shoulder.

"Heard you're still an ugly virgin!"

"Yeah, Clove better not hang out with her any more," I muttered, pulling on my backpack straps.

"Maybe it's time you two stop feuding with each other," Finnick suggested hopefully. I admired his silly optimism but still scoffed at the suggestion.

"Not a chance, Fin."

"Whatever. Hey, are you coming to my soccer game next week?"

I nodded. "As long as it's not the same day as the football game then yes. You know how Gale is about football."

"He loves his team and he loves his support system," Finnick chuckled.

"That he does." I laughed with him. As we rounded the corner, I spotted Peeta standing at a locker. I began to point him out to Finnick before stopping when I saw that Delly was practically hanging off of him. I scowled, glaring at the back of her head as she wove her fingers through his golden hair. I turned to complain about this to Finnick before realizing that he was no longer next to me. I looked around until I saw him practically sprinting down the hall towards Annie. The two of them collided in a sweet embrace. I rolled my eyes and stumbled to catch up to them, thinking about how I was probably going to be alone forever.

* * *

**Thanks to all the people who reviewed and followed this story, y'all are sweet! This chapter was kinda boring I'll admit, but it's going to get more interesting, I promise! **

**Reviews are always welcome. Until next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

As the week progressed, Cato continued to fail to make a good impression on Clove in our calculus class. The more I watched the two of them interact the more I realized that Cato actually liked her, even though he chose the wrong way to show it. I caught all the glances he sent at her over his shoulder while she took notes on the lessons. I also found myself enjoying Peeta's company more and more (when we weren't mediating his brother and my cousin, that is). I learned that he sat with Annie and Fox at lunch and was able to quickly click with the two of them.

"Are you sure you don't want to be the girl's soccer team manager?" Clove practically begged me as she, Gale and I walked into school Friday morning.

"I'm positive," I responded, scrunching up my nose. I was nearly certain that she and Johanna would yell at the manager almost as much as they yelled at their teammates.

"Please, Kat?" Clove gave me puppy eyes. "Eddy volunteered to do it again but last year he spent the whole time ogling the girls."

"Eddy's sweet," I protested, siding with the sophomore with kind eyes.

"I don't want my team getting distracted and he's a distraction," Clove protested.

"I wish I could, Clo, but I'm trying to find an after school job." It was true, Prim and I had spent the past week looking online for any job openings in a two mile radius of our neighborhood.

"Can't you just work on the weekends? It's what Gale and I both do." Gale worked at a car mechanic and Clove worked at a 24 hour grocery store.

"Nope," I said, popping the p.

"Please don't force me to settle for Eddy," Clove said desperately as we reached our lockers. Gale looked at me over Clove's head and rolled his eyes, causing me to laugh a little. Clove's dedication to the soccer team was commendable but her obsession with perfection often got in the way of things. Like this.

"Sorry, but it's been decided. I'll be starting a job hopefully as soon as next week."

"Fine, I accept the circumstances but I'm not happy about it," Clove groaned loudly, banging her head against her locker door.

"Someone other than me pissing Clove off? That's a first," a new person joined us, leaning on the locker next to Clove.

Clove rolled her eyes."Trust me, you aren't special, Cato. I'm annoyed by everyone and everything."

"That's what makes you so charming," Cato smirked. Clove stuck her tongue out and I nearly punched her for her obliviousness.

"Hey, back off," Gale snapped, glaring daggers at him.

"Shut up, Gale, not everything concerns you. Come one, Kat. Walk me to my first class?" Without waiting for an answer, Clove dragged me away.

"Hey, I needed my notebook," I protested, looking over my shoulder helplessly at my abandoned locker.

"Sorry, I had to get away from them. Boys are kind of the worst." Clove said, rubbing her temples tiredly.

"I guess you should know, living with three of them."

"Tell me about it-shit, there's Glimmer. I gotta go," and with that, Clove slipped into her classroom in the blink of an eye.

"Bye to you too," I muttered, walking to my first class which was coincidentally right nextdoor. As I sat down and greeted Jo and Madge, I received a text from Gale.

_G: who was that guy? do you know if he plays football?_

I groaned, slamming my head on my desk. If either of my cousins dragged me into their sports problems one more time, I was going to explode.

* * *

"He's built exactly like a quarterback!" Gale hissed to Finnick, ogling Cato during our lunch period.

"Don't let Madge hear you gushing over Cato like that," I joked to him. Across the table Madge turned a deep shade of red. She flicked her peas at me when I laughed at her.

Gale glared at me. "Dumbass. Wyatt Unghart, our quarterback, injured himself at practice and is out for the rest of the season. We haven't found a replacement yet but _he,_" he gestured at Cato, "looks perfect."

"Then why don't _you _stop talking to us and go over there and ask him?" Johanna shoved Gale.

"I will," Gale huffed and got up, strutting towards Cato.

"He's really taking this captain position seriously, isn't he?" Johanna leaned over to me.

"You have no idea," I snorted. "He tested different football drills on his siblings this summer. Clove nearly murdered him."

"What about newbie's brother?" Johanna asked me. "Was he ever a football player?"

"Why are you asking me?" I flushed, shoving a french fry into my mouth to avoid answering the question.

"Because he's been hanging around you like a lost puppy all week. Where's the puppy now?" Johanna asked, making kissy noises.

"In art class, he has a different lunch. And for your information, he's a wrestler."

"I rest my case." Johanna sat back, smug. I wanted to slap that look right off her face.

"He said no," Gale moaned as he trotted back to us. He slumped down into his seat in defeat.

"Pity," Finnick shook his head sadly. "I bet Marvel ten bucks that Cato would be the new quarterback by the end of the week and it's already Friday."

"Aren't you on the soccer team?" Madge's brow furrowed in confusion.

Finnick shrugged. "I might be soccer captain but that doesn't mean I shoudn't care about the reputation of my school's football team. Plus I think I'd actually die if I lost a bet to Marvel."

"I'm touched," Marvel said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"There's still plenty of time left in the day, Odair." Johanna reassured him. "Blondie over there just needs to come to his senses. Hawthorne's right, the dude looks like a qb."

"Did he tell you why he wouldn't join?" Madge asked, looking at Gale.

"No," Gale said sulkily, stabbing at his lunch with a fork. He stared at Cato longingly until I elbowed him in the side, gesturing for him to eat his lunch.

"I'm sure Blondie just needs a push in the right direction," Johanna shrugged.

"I guess."

I watched across the lunchroom as Cato's attention finally fell on us. His eyes suddenly lit up and he smirked. "Hey Gale, he's looking over here-"

"What's up, losers? Thank god Glimmer's in the other lunch period, this week with her has been hell. Wow, this food looks like shit." Clove. Sure enough, Cato's eyes were glued on my cousin who had just plopped down in the seat next to Finnick. I smirked, this only proved my theory of him liking her.

"Gale," I hissed, once again elbowing him in the side until he glared at me. I nodded towards Cato. Gale looked at him then followed his line of sight to Clove. His face quickly contorted in anger and he made to stand up before I grabbed him. "Think about it!" I whispered.

A look of realization crossed Gale's face and he sat down. "A push in the right direction, huh?" He mused, looking at his sister who was chomping on her salad in a very unladylike fashion that would have Aunt Hazelle scolding her. I snorted as I saw that Cato's attention was still fixated on Clove as she vacuumed up her lunch.

"What are you thinking about?" Madge asked Gale suspiciously as we all watched the gears in his head turn.

"My brother thinking in general is pretty dangerous." Clove said through a mouthful of lettuce. She saw me and Gale staring at her intensely and frowned. "What?"

* * *

"Absolutely not." Clove crossed her arms and stuck her nose up in the air.

"Why didn't you tell me that my future quarterback has a crush on you?" Gale practically shouted. Gale and I had dragged Clove out of the lunchroom when the bell had rung and we were now by the lockers, trying to convince her to go along with our plan.

"Oh, is that what Katty here has been telling you?" Clove shot a death glare in my direction. "He doesn't have a crush on me, he's merely decided that annoying me is his favorite pastime," Clove huffed, playing with the ends of her hair.

"Do it for me, please?" Gale gave her puppy eyes.

Clove shoved him. "That only works on mom and Madge, dumbass."

"I think you would be really helpful in this situation, Clove." I piped up.

Clove spun around to face me, hair whipping Gale on the way. "And why do you care so much, Katty?"

I scowled at the nickname then shrugged. "Because I care about your happiness, Clo." I pinched her cheek. "Cato is a hottie and I think you'd really like him. Plus this is the most interesting thing that's happened all week."

Clove looked from me to Gale then sighed. "All I have to do is get him to join the football team? Bat my eyes and giggle?"

Gale nodded enthusiastically.

"And I don't have to show him my tits or anything?"

I facepalmed and Gale shouted, "God, no!"

"Fine," she threw her hands up in the air, "I'll do it. When do I have to talk to him?"

"Now," Gale said immediately. Clove and I look at him and he sighed. "Fine, as soon as possible."

"I better get a World's Best Sister trophy for doing this." Clove grumbled as Gale crushed her in a bear hug.

"I'll do all your chores for a month. Now, a few rules. Do not engage in any physical contact, keep your clothes on, and never talk to him again after you've completed your mission." Gale said, counting on his fingers.

"Gale," Clove groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "You suck."

Gale dragged her into a headlock and rubbed his knuckles in her hair. "Just looking out for my baby sister."

Clove broke free and shoved him away, smoothing down her hair. "We're twins, idiot. And you should've thought of that before selling me out to some stupid new kid. Now if you'll excuse us, Katty and I have a future quarterback to talk to." She grabbed me by the wrist, dragging me away.

"We aren't talking to him now, are we?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"God no, I just wanted to get away from him." Clove sighed. "We'll talk to Mellark later."

* * *

"Cato," Clove drawled, sidling up to the new boy as she twisted a strand of hair around her finger. School had just ended and Clove wasted no time in dragging me out of our last class and down the hall towards the Mellark brothers. She got Cato's attention and he immediately stopped his conversation with Peeta to focus on her. I could tell that her behavior confused him but he was nevertheless pleased.

Peeta smiled at me and I returned it bashfully, pulling him away from Cato and Clove. He looked at me in confusion.

"Some major flirting is about to go on, I suggest that you stand back." His eyes widened in understanding and he stepped back further.

"Katniss," Cato greeted politely. He smirked, "Clover." Clove's expression soured at the nickname and she stopped twirling her hair. I kicked her and she quickly snapped out of it, resuming her flirty stance.

"So how are you enjoying your first week at Panem High?" Clove asked, batting her lashes. She looked so ridiculous that Peeta and I had to hide our snickering. Cato, on the other hand, was eating it up.

"It's not bad. The teachers here are crazy."

"Tell me about it. Do you miss your friends much? Maybe your teammates?" She asked innocently. I rolled my eyes at her obviousness.

"Not too much, most people in District 1 were assholes," Cato said and Peeta nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure you're happy to get a fresh start, then. Are you thinking about joining the football team?" Clove asked, straight to the point as always.

Cato's face hardened. "Not a chance."

"Are you sure? I think you'd make a great quarterback," She said sweetly.

"And what makes you say that?"

"Well, there are obvious signs…" Clove purred, fingers dancing across his bicep. "I'd love to see you on the football field soon."

"Yeah? You're not the only one." I could see annoyance growing across Cato's face.

"Have you played before?"

"So what if I have?"

"Why don't you want to join?" Clove dropped her act and I could hear the impatience in her voice.

"Like you said, a new school means a fresh start. There's no way in hell I'm going back to football. There are better things I can spend my time doing than playing that stupid game. Peeta, let's go, our shifts at the bakery start soon. It's been a pleasure, ladies." And with that Cato slipped past Clove and stormed down the hall.

"Now what?" Clove whined to me, clearly crestfallen.

"Sorry about him," Peeta said apologetically. "He forgets his manners sometimes."

"Why doesn't he want to join the football team?" I asked him. "I think they really need him."

"He had an injury on the field last season. A linebacker snapped his ankle pretty badly and it took weeks of physical therapy for him to get back to normal. I guess it kind of ruined the sport for him. He told me when we moved here that he wasn't going to play football for Panem High or ever again. Plus my dad kinda needs both of our help around the bakery."

"He shouldn't dwell on the past." Clove frowned and I could tell that she wasn't expecting the story Peeta told us. "I'll get him on that team if it's the last thing I do." She mumbled to herself as she walked away.

"There's no stopping her when she's on a mission." I sighed.

"Let me guess, your cousin the football captain asked her to get Cato to join the team?"

"You got it," I nodded. "I'll try to keep her away from Cato, it seems like a pretty sensitive topic for him."

"Nah, let her convince him. I think he really does miss football, maybe Clove can remind him of that."

I chuckled. "She can be pretty convincing." I checked my watch and swore. "Shit, I gotta pick up my sister and cousins from school. See you on Monday!"

"See you!" I heard Peeta call from behind me but I was already running down the hall and out the door towards the Hawthorne's van. Though Gale's family owned the car, he and Clove both had sports practice after school so Aunt Hazelle had me pick up Prim, Rory, Vick, and Posy. I was also tasked with driving the car back to school after practice for Gale to drive me and Clove home.

I started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, zooming off towards the middle school. And for some reason, I couldn't get Peeta Mellark out of my mind.

* * *

**Thanks for all of your kind feedback, can't wait to keep writing this story xx**


	4. Chapter 4

"What did I do wrong?" Clove asked, laying on her bed and staring up at the ceiling. It was Saturday morning and Clove, Prim and I were currently "babysitting" Vick and Posy while Hazelle and Gale were at work. In reality, Prim was downstairs keeping the kids amused while Clove and I were hiding in Clove and Posy's shared bedroom.

I shrugged helplessly, silently cursing Gale for tasking Clove with this mission. The last time I had seen Clove this concerned was when Annie was going through a rough breakup freshman year.

"I acted silly and pretty, isn't that what every guy wants?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, Clo. Well, I guess you kind of did, but that was all Gale's fault. Peeta said that football is a sensitive topic for Cato, you couldnt've known that." I said, feeding her a potato chip that she chomped on miserably.

"I guess so," she muttered, opening her mouth to indicate that she wanted more food. I stuffed three chips into her mouth.

"You know how Gale gets when football is involved, he'll put anything on the line. It wasn't fair of him to drag you into this."

"He'll probably never want to speak to me again," Clove moaned, referring to Cato as she threw an arm over her face.

"Out of curiosity, why do you care so much?" I asked innocently, hoping that she would catch on. Though Clove didn't often show it, she had a heart of gold under her icy exterior. She only showed this much concern when somebody she cared about was involved. Could it be that the older Mellark, who she had known for less than a week, was one of those few people?

She sat up and cast a suspicious glance in my direction. "No reason, I'd just rather not have anybody mad at me right now, even him. Because of, um, soccer."

"Soccer?" I tried to make my voice as sweet as possible.

"Yeah, soccer. You know, the sport with the ball that you kick?"

"Shut up, I know what soccer is," I said, pushing her back onto the bed.

"I don't want any distractions from soccer. I can't have a problem like this plaguing my mind when my real concern is trying to get my team to state this year. You know what, I think you're right, I shouldn't care about this at all. This totally isn't my problem," Clove said in a self-assured voice.

"Well, I don't know about that," I said, suddelny panicked that my scheme had backfired. "I think you should definitely apologize. Plus, if you're still up for it, I think you actually could convince Cato to join the team."

"Yeah, maybe." Clove said in a small voice.

"And for the record, I doubt that Cato hates you."

"Why do you say that?" Clove shot up into a sitting position once again. "Did Peeta text you?"

"No," I said, then frowned. "Wait, what makes you think that Peeta and I text?"

Clove smirked and made kissy noises.

"Real mature, Clo," I scoffed, pushing her over. I checked the time on her bedside clock and stood up. "I gotta go, I'm meeting up with Annie and Jo soon."

Clove scowled as she stood up. "What? Why wasn't I invited? How dare you!"

I knocked on her forehead. "For such a smartie you're kind of a dumbass. You work in half an hour, Clove."

Clove also checked the clock, her eyes widening when she realized what time it was. "Shit!"

"That's what I thought," I said, tsking as she stumbled around the room in search of her work uniform. "Do you want Jo to drop you off at work? She's picking me up soon."

"Yes please!" Clove's muffled voice came from under the shirt she was struggling to get over her head.

When Clove was finally ready, the two of us walked to the kitchen where Prim was baking cookies with Posy. I could hear the TV blaring in the other room, indicating that that's where Vick was.

"Clove and I are leaving, think you can handle the two rascals?" I asked Prim, tugging on Posy's pigtail.

"Fine, but you owe me," Prim said over her shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I think Jo's here, see you later Prim," I said, steering Clove towards the front door. We shouted goodbye to Vick as we left, the door swinging shut behind us. Sure enough, Johanna's silver Audi was parked across the street.

"Katniss, how nice to see you, you look lovely," Jo drawled, rolling down the window as she shoved her sunglasses up into her hair. "Clove, you look…modest."

"Fuck off, Jo, you know I hate this uniform," Clove groaned, climbing into the backseat behind me.

"You have mentioned that a couple times I guess," Jo said, amusement in her voice as she sped off down the street. I held onto Clove as the car made a wild left turn. Though always willing to drive us, Johanna was probably the most reckless driver I knew.

By the time Johanna pulled up to the grocery store that my cousin worked at, Clove and I had been jostled, tossed, and were now clutching each other thanks to Jo's crazy driving. Annie was perched in the passenger seat, completely unfazed.

"Thanks for the ride, Jo." Clove said, getting out of the car. "Don't have too much fun without me!"

"Oh, we will!" Johanna shouted at the same time Annie chirped "Have a good shift!" I merely waved as we drove away.

"Where are we going now?" I asked, holding onto the backseat handle.

"To the mall. It's mine and Baria's anniversary and I need to get her a present," Johanna said, checking her makeup in the car mirror at a stoplight.

Annie turned around and faced me. "And I promised Jo that I would buy her a new pair of shoes if she actually managed to keep a relationship for more than three months." She whispered loudly.

"Four months and going strong, baby," Johanna sang and pumped her fist in the air as I laughed. Unlike me, Johanna had dated practically half the school, from Lyme to Gloss. I, on the other hand, was living my life to the fullest as a relationship-free seventeen year old.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," I whispered to myself as Johanna sped towards the mall.

* * *

"You ready for this?" I asked Clove as we climbed out of the car on Monday morning _on time_. Early, even.

Clove nodded. "Ready." She played with the hem of her jean shorts nervously until I gently nudged her. Her hands fell to her sides. At the last minute on Sunday night I had convinced her to not wear a dress for the confrontation with Cato. Clove despised dresses and I told her over FaceTime that there was no reason for her to wear one. She had argued that it could be part of the bargaining process and we squabbled for awhile until she finally agreed to not wear the dress.

"There he is," I said, pointing across the parking lot to where Cato was sitting on the hood on his car, talking with Thresh and Darius.

"Okay, here I go," Clove took a deep breath and walked away from us. Gale and I watched her weave her way around parked cars until she was standing in front of him. Cato's eyes softened slightly when she greeted him. He said something to his friends and they walked away, leaving the two of them alone.

I tugged on Gale's sleeve. "C'mon, let's give them some privacy."

We saw Finnick and Annie the moment we walked into school so we made our way over to them. We talked with the two of them for awhile until I spotted Clove walking through the crowd of students.

"How did it go?" I asked her once she was standing in front of us.

She beamed. "Really well, I was able to apologize _and _convince him to join the team."

I had never heard Gale squeal until this moment. He picked Clove up off the ground and crushed her in a bear hug.

"You're the best sister ever!" He yelled excitedly.

"There's just one catch," Clove said through a mouthful of Gale's hoodie. She looked directly at me somewhat guiltily.

"What?" I asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Cato was worried that there wouldn't be enough people helping around the bakery if he joined the team. So I told him that Katniss would happily take his place."

I froze. "What?"

"You start tomorrow, Peeta will train you in. Surprise." Clove said weakly.

* * *

**Super boring filler chapter with a twist at the end. I promise the next chapter is gonna be much more interesting! To the guest who said they were excited for more Peeta, I think you're going to like the next chapter ****:) I'll update asap, thanks to everyone for their kind support! Until next chapter**


	5. Chapter 5

After dropping off Prim at home on Tuesday afternoon, I drove my younger cousins to the Hawthorne residence and left the van in the driveway. Waving goodbye to Vick and Posy, I trudged down the street towards Mellark Bakery. I pulled out the scrap of paper Peeta had given me earlier that day with the address written on it. After ensuring that I was walking in the right direction, I stuffed the slip back into the pocket of my jeans. Clove and Gale owed me. Big time.

"The things I do for my friends," I muttered to myself as I crossed the street. Sure, I _did _need a job and I didn't have to go through the hassle of doing an interview, but it was still very sudden and completely unexpected. I just hoped that all the stupid football drama would be over after this. I tried convincing myself that the tentative olive branch between Cato and Clove was all thanks to me and that cheered me up a bit. I couldn't wait to dangle this over Clove's head whenever she and Cato finally start dating.

I took another couple of turns and jumped over a few puddles until I found myself in front of the picturesque bakery I had heard so much about. It was honestly adorable with its pastel paint job and white flower boxes that lined the windows. I checked the time on my phone and swore when I realized that I was late. The bell on the door jingled as I entered and I suddenly found myself feeling nervous. I relaxed a bit when I saw Peeta behind the counter and walked towards him.

He looked up and smiled. "Hey there, new employee."

I gave him an awkward salute, instantly regretting my stupid choice of gestures. "Hey. Sorry if I'm late, I had to pick up my sister and cousins from school and then drop them off at home." I suddenly realized how stupid my excuse sounded and winced a little.

Peeta waved away my apology. "Not a problem at all. I can ask my parents to schedule you at 4:30 instead of 4:00 for weekday shifts if you'd like, that way you'll be able to get them home in plenty of time."

I was honestly a little shocked by his instinctual kindness. "Thank you, that would be really helpful."

"No problem," he smiled and beckoned me to join him behind the counter. "Wait here, I'll get you an apron."

"Thanks." While he was gone, I began to study the case of cupcakes and cakes in front of me. Many of them were iced beautifully with intricate vines and flowers in soft colors. I instantly recognized those designs as the ones Peeta had been doodling in our math class last week. Cato was right, Peeta was ridiculously good at it.

I looked up when Peeta came back and caught the apron he tossed at me. "Your brother was right, these cupcake designs are beautiful."

"Thanks, I actually really enjoy doing them. It's a nice way to start the day," he shrugged the compliment off.

"Wait, do you ice these before school?" I asked as I tied the gaudy pink apron around my waist.

He nodded. "My parents have finally begun to hire more people but this summer it was just my parents, Cato and I working here. Guess I kind of enjoyed the routine of it so I offered to keep doing it when school started. Up at 5 AM every morning."

"That's amazing," I said, trying to not make a face at the apron I was wearing.

Peeta noticed and laughed. "Not a fan of the color pink?"

"Hell no, it's definitely not my style. My sister would love it, though." I said honestly, thinking of Prim and her pale pink bedroom.

"I guess this is the first time I've seen you wearing pink. You tend to stick to much darker colors like forest green and navy blue." Peeta mused. He blushed suddenly when I cast him a surprised look. "Sorry, that sounded creepy. Blame it on the artist's eye."

"Right." I tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

Peeta cleared his throat to fill the silence. "Well anyways, let's get started on training you. Tell me, have you ever used a cash register before?"

For the next several hours Peeta taught me how to use the cash registers, sweep the floor, and slice a cake "the right way." I recognized several customers who had come in, many of them neighbors and classmates. Finnick and Annie came in at one point and started squealing the moment they saw me behind the counter. The work I did was fast-paced and I noticed that the time was flying by.

"Congrats on a productive first shift," Peeta smiled at me when the last customer had finally left. He locked the front door and flipped the "Open" sign to "Closed".

"That was exhausting," I admitted, wiping my brow. I wasn't exactly prepared for the number of customers I had served but it had left me with a sense of achievement.

"Well, you're free to go, your shift ends at nine. I can sweep the floors."

"Thanks," I said gratefully. I was hoping that I'd make it home in time for dinner. My mother worked late shifts at the hospital, so my family was already used to eating late dinners.

"Feel free to take a couple of baked goods home," Peeta called over his shoulder as he walked through the swinging door to grab a broom.

"Thanks, I think I will." After careful inspection I selected a lemon cupcake for my mother, a strawberry one for Prim, and a chocolate one for myself. I put the three little cakes in a box and took off my apron, folding it neatly and setting it on the countertop. As I was about to walk out the door, I was stopped by the sound of rain coming from outside. It was raining that morning but had stopped up until this point. I squinted, peering out the window at the street. It was dark but I could easily see the thick rain pounding on the ground.

"Need a ride home?" I turned around to see Peeta leaning over the counter, broom in hand.

"It's fine, I don't want to be an inconvence," I lied easily.

"You wouldn't be. How far away do you live?" He asked and leaned the broom against the counter as he walked towards me.

"My house is over by The Hob," I said, referring to the cluster of stores a couple blocks from my street. "Gale and Clove's house is only a mile away though, I can easily walk there and they can drive me home," I added hastily.

"No way, I'll take you. I don't mind at all," Peeta said. "Let me go get my keys."

"Wouldn't your parents object? You still have stuff to do here and I bet you've got homework too," I protested, slightly annoyed at his altruistic attitude.

"Wait there," was Peeta's only response as he ran to get his car keys. I huffed and crossed my arms. He popped his head out of the swinging door and gestured for me to follow him into the back area of the bakery. I complied, weaving my way around bags of flour as we walked towards the back door.

"You really don't have to do this," I protested one last time as we stood at the back door, preparing to run outside into the rain.

"It would be my pleasure. Here, take my jacket." He pulled a rain jacket off of a barrel of sugar and shoved it into my arms. I didn't protest that time as I put it on, knowing that Peeta would be stubborn if I refused. It was a soft orange color that somehow matched Peeta's personality perfectly, though I couldn't explain why. He opened the door and we ran through the heavy rain to his car.

"It's really coming down out there!" Peeta shook his hair out, droplets of water hitting the car dashboard.

I said nothing as Peeta pulled out of the alley and onto the street. He asked for my address and I told it to him quietly. The rain was hitting the windshield like little bullets and thunder rumbled in the distance. I hated rain. It was raining like this the day my father and uncle died.

I realized that I was being incredibly rude to a person that was going out of there way to get me home. "Are you liking Panem High?" I asked.

Peeta thought for a moment as he stared ahead at the road. "I guess so. It's pretty similar to my high school back in District Two. I will say that Panem High has some of the craziest people I've ever met. There's a kid in my History class, Marvin or something, who has burped the ABCs for me on multiple occassions.."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "That's Marvel, he's an idiot. He's a good friend of mine."

Peeta nodded. "Yeah, that's his name, he's weird but also really nice. But yeah there's him, a couple of druggies in my art class, and those crazy football players. And then there's Glimmer and her friends, of course."

I groaned, rolling my eyes. "God, I hate her."

"Yeah, you've mentioned that a couple of times," he said sarcastically.

"Sometimes I can't contain my hate," I muttered.

A bolt of lightning cracked across the sky and I jumped slightly in my seat. Peeta saw this and chuckled slightly. "Now are you glad you accepted this ride?"

"Yes," I muttered, hugging my arms to my chest and sinking further into the seat. I still wasn't able to wrap my head around why Peeta was treating me with such kindness. I hadn't made much of an impression on him, had I?

"Is this the right street?" He asked as we turned onto my street.

"Yeah, it's the one on the right with the red mailbox," I said, pointing at my house.

Peeta carefully pulled up in front of my house. I unbuckled my seatbelt and grabbed the box of cupcakes off the floor of the car. "Thanks for the ride," I said as genuinely as I could. "I promise you won't ever have to do this again."

"I didn't mind at all," Peeta frowned slightly, leaning on the steering wheel.

"I know you don't, but I do. I really owe you one, thanks again. See you tomorrow." I slammed the car door and ran up to my house before he could utter a response. I fumbled with my keys as I balanced the box in one hand.

"Katniss!" Prim hugged me as soon as I entered the house.

"Hey there, little duck." I hugged her back, kicking the front door shut.

"Who's jacket is this?" Prim asked sweetly, tugging on the sleeve of Peeta's jacket. I hadn't realized that I was still wearing it until that moment. Shit.

"Nobody's, I borrowed it from someone at work," I replied smoothly as I felt my cheeks heating up.

"Doesn't seem like it's 'nobody's'," Prim said slyly. "It's pretty big on you, did a boy give it to you?"

"It doesn't matter-hi Mom!" I said hastily as I saw my mother walk out of the kitchen. I pulled her into a hug to avoid Prim's nosy questions.

"Hello darling, how was your first day of work?" My mom asked sweetly. She smelled like basil and tomato sauce.

"It was good. I brought you two some cupcakes." I handed the box to Prim. She opened it and her face lit up.

"Those smell delicious, we'll have them after dinner. Now come into the kitchen you two, dinner's almost ready." Mom said, turning to reenter the kitchen. I followed her and Prim, turning around once to glare at the cursed orange jacket that only reminded me of the unexplainable kindness of the boy it belonged to.

* * *

**Yay, the Everlark saga has begun! Thanks for being patient with me, I know that filler chapters can be the worst. Hope that this chapter makes up for the lack of Peeta, there will be plenty of him to come :) Until next chapter!**


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